Chemistry

Entrance Exams

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Online LessonsHourly Rate

13 Plus

£27.50

£23.38

14 Plus

£27.50

£23.38

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£30.00

£25.50

University

£27.50

£23.38

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Personal Description:

Hailing from Leeds and honors graduate of Warwick and Bradford universities with degrees in chemistry and optometry respectively, I am a confident individual, one who takes pride in his high levels of patience and natural ability as a communicator.

My own parents guidance has led to the privilege of attaining two honors degrees and to have researched, under scholarship, quantum chemistry and theoretical biology at Leeds and York universities.

My degree in optometry has given me a valuable insight into the professional world, having worked as an optician for 2 years, and an instinct for the personalities that are best suited to the medical courses. So i have a wide breath of experience concerning all areas of the scientific world.

Although my life has been immersed in education I have always kept in touch with my working class heritage which is firmly rooted in market trading.

This has afforded me a sense of social and cultural awareness rarely seen in balance with the world of academia. I believe this further advances my capacity to connect with a wider audience of students.

Accordingly, I feel perfectly poised to comprehend and then relate all aspects of the scientific world to others in an approachable and tangible way.

Encouraging though I may be, if it is becoming clear that my tutee hasn't the right disposition or ability when considering future ambitions I will address it with the honesty required through consultation with the students parents.

This can be an emotional situation but never a hopeless one as sometimes we must simply accept a different path from the one we first expected.

Tutoring Experience:

Apart from being a father, my main main teaching experience is through tutorials. I have taught students of all ages, stages and abilities in the physical, biological and mathematical sciences with great success and I hope the "comments" left on my page speak for themselves.

From standard primary mathematics to adults studying degree level chemistry I have taught at all levels. The majority of my work however is with A level and degree level students.

Many of these students have gone to study at some of the countries most reputable universities such as York, Warwick, Manchester, Nottingham, Exeter, Bath, Durham, Leeds and Newcastle to name a few.

It can happen (not often, but still well worth noting) that even the most capable and intensely talented students do not always attain the grades that reflect their abilities as part of the A level course and as such go to a second choice university or take extra time to decide their future.

This is not the end or "failure"! It just means one may require a little more time in advancing in the direction that is best suited to them. We are all uniquely different and cannot all expect to know exactly what we are going to do and how we are going to do it at 18 years of age.

That said, my students A level results of 2015-6 have been even better than expected - with 90% of student achieving between A-C in their maths physics and chemistry.

From here some notable examples of success are: one student whom scored 45% on an AS stats exam (before he began tuition with me) and went on to achieve 89% in the module after one years tuition, which also included tuition the other maths modules and chemistry. He finished with an A in maths and a B in chemistry;

Other examples are; One whom was failing their chemistry and was on a U grade when tutoring began has now scored just shy of an A grade (on one of the chemistry toughest papers ever seen).

Another student whom scored a mere 27% in mechanics moved the mark up to 82% after tuition. He will be studying for his undergraduate masters in mechanical engineering at Newcastle University this year;

And a student whom contacted me after struggling through their first year (they were at one of the worst performing schools in West Yorkshire) had tutoring for two years and scored an A in chemistry and a B in maths, and is now studying accounting and finance at Warwick - the top university in the country for the course.

My GCSE students have also tended to reach the level that is required of them. Often this can be to gain a grade C on the lower maths and science papers (its not always about A grades!).

The degree results from my students have been and have always been nothing short of exceptional. This year (2015-6) has given me the best set of results yet as most have been long term students, and they have all finished with overall first class scores. With tuition in physical, inorganic, organic and bio-chemistry.

Finally it is worth saying that experience has also taught me that GCSE students don't always make the best A level students and likewise the best A level students don't always excel at degree.

Even after degree those with 2:2's can be far better at research than those of us with strong 2:1's.

Tutoring Approach:

My approach to tutoring is based on the knowledge that we are all different and have unique needs when it comes to learning and consequently understanding. I accordingly attempt to tailor my style to the individual.

This is designed to effectively combine ones personality with ambition. For example, if someone is shy or unsure of themselves and wishes progress in their subject I would be inclined to first develop confidence. If someone is generally struggling I would go back to basics and lay firm foundations on which to build.

Both of these would promote a gentle approach to the situation regardless of academic requirements involved (be it someone who wants to fly high or simply needs to pass an exam). Conversely if I am dealing with a confident student then I can be far more direct in exploiting natural talent. Cultural connotations are also taken into careful consideration.

The next factor I take into consideration is the students ambitions. I steadily increase the amount of pressure so it meets the necessities of that ambition. Thus, I would not set the same amount or standard of work (again regardless of ability) to someone who simply wishes to pass a course compared to one who desires to gain A grades or top the class.

I would also tend to apply more pressure to those who want to study their subject at higher levels, but always appreciating their emotional disposition.

As such I also analyse technique and temperament as it becomes an increasingly important dimension to my approach to tutoring.

It can be a difficult thing for parents to accept that even though their children are perfectly bright and intelligent they do not possess the temperament at certain times to adapt to the pressure of live examinations. This is something I focus on with the express purpose of developing the right disposition to succeed.

My experience has also taught me that If GCSE or below is required then I would tend to encourage parental participation as much as possible as part of the tuition sessions. The reality of education is that younger children learn best from their parents and no tutor can compete with this. Maths is the main problem and it is pointless if the parents are not involved to help with the process.

I can say with confidence if a student is struggling with primary or particularly high school maths, and times tables aren't practiced with parental supervision, daily, then the student will almost certainly fail to progress regardless how much tuition they receive from me or anyone else.

I will also tutor several students together as part of a group tutorial at discounted hourly rates.

Jonathan's Feedback

Date Registered:

24/01/2012

Date Last Logged In:

07/12/2016

Tutees Providing Feedback:

19

Tutees Providing Positive Feedback:

19 Av. 4.79/5.00

JonathanFrom Eleni (5/5): (A-Level Chemistry)Jonathan is, quite frankly, an amazing tutor. He is able to explain concepts with great ease and clarity and he has greatly improved my confidence in my mathematical ability. In doing so Jonathan has been essential in helping me to truly understand the subject. I have just finished my AS year and after receiving a U grade in the mock I went on to achieve 79% in the exam. It is safe to say I will be continuing lessons with Jonathan next year.

JonathanFrom Stephanie (4/5): (A-Level Physics)I found Jonathan to be very pleasant and professional. He was very knowledgeable in the subject, A level Physics. He was able to explain clearly concepts my child had struggled with and progress has definitely been made. He was always willing to have extra questions sent to him. I am happy with the work he did with my child.

JonathanFrom Alan (5/5): (University Chemistry)Jonathan has been an excellent tutor for our daughter who is in her first year studying Biochemistry at Leeds University. Our daughter struggles with confidence and finds the support of Jonathan very valuable. Jonathan works very hard as a Tutor and goes to lots of effort with lesson plans, evaluation and preparing for forthcoming exams for his students. Our daughter is gaining confidence in her ability and now doing really well at Uni. She was infact placed third in her course group in the recent examinations. Jonathan is very calm, patient and a good communicator. We highly recommend him.

Reply from Jonathan: It is an honour and a pleasure to work with one with such a remarkable ability and whom holds such immaculate standards. Thank you.

JonathanFrom Ria (5/5): (University Chemistry)My tutoring lessons with Jonathan were very useful and helped me a great deal with my physical chemistry exam. He is very good at illustrating topics and clarifying them in a way that was easy for me to understand, and also resolving any doubts or misconceptions about a given topic. The lessons boosted my confidence in physical chemistry and I would definitely recommend him to anyone studying in this field.

His subject knowledge is second to none and he his highly recommendable.

His tutoring style has given me so much self belief and confidence I know I will pass my maths QTS test.

JonathanFrom Marina (4/5): (A-Level Maths)

JonathanFrom Asim (3/5): (A-Level Maths)Seem like a great tutor but isn't available for the time I require

Reply from Jonathan: Thank you for your comment and hopefully you've found a tutor who can teach at times that suit you better

JonathanFrom Lynda (5/5): (GCSE Maths)Really pleased with Jonathan so far. My son immediately felt at ease and told me after the second session that it was, " the best learning I've ever done." He is at all times polite, professional and reliable.

JonathanFrom Sarah (5/5): (A-Level Chemistry)I started with Jonathan in September 2014 after scraping a C in my chemistry AS levels.
I resat all of my AS level and came out with a B overall at A-level chemistry.Jonathan was a massive help with my resits as he really helped me understand the AS content. He had many methods of explaining areas I had difficulty with and was always very patient. As I didn't take A-level maths as an option I often really struggled with the mathematics involved with the chemistry exams. This is where Jonathan helped me the most and over the year I became increasingly confident in performing calculations. Overall; a reliable, friendly and knowledgeable tutor!

JonathanFrom Tabby (5/5): (University Chemistry)Jonathan is an extraordinary tutor .Jonathan not only thought me chemistry but maths and physics also.He helped me discover my own way of learning and quickly determined my learning difficulties.His patience and encouraging manners helped me gain confidence in my own abilities.He taught me how to think for myself and the results of Jonathan's work have being dramatic.Just finished my second year in university and I have no idea what I would have done without him.Best tutor ever.I highly recommend Jonathan to anyone.

JonathanFrom Simon (5/5): (A-Level Chemistry)Jonathan
although we've not met yet and Hayley hasn't had the p;leasure of your tutoring skills, I can provide this initial feedback.
The concensus in the house (me, my wife and duaghter) all thought your profile looked interesting, the photo is good and we got an over all good first impression.

JonathanFrom Charlotte (5/5): (A-Level Chemistry)Very positive experience so far. My daughter has been able to cover topics at the pace she is happy with. Jonathan is a reliable tutor, able to engage with his students, obviously very knowledgeable and is able to teach in a steady, relaxed but thorough manner. I would definitely recommend him!

JonathanFrom Dan (5/5): (University Chemistry)Jonathan tutored me in the area of physical chemistry for a period of four weeks prior to my second year university summer exams. I found both his style of teaching and approach to the material very refreshing. And he was able to communicate previously misunderstood ideas in a way I could understand. Not only do I feel that he was able to prepare me for the exam but has aided me in a wider understanding of more general underlying concepts of chemistry.

Having received exams results over the summer I i am pleased to say I did very well obtaining a much higher average mark than I received for January modules. I Showed particular improvement in physical chemistry (the area Jonathan tutored me in) going from 32% to 63%.

Reply from Jonathan: Thank you Dan for you feedback… it's amazing what you can do with just 8 hours! Always satisfying to see what we can achieve when we communicate well with focus on principles not facts… but more satisfaction comes from seeing a student realize how capable they really are!

JonathanFrom Julia (5/5): (A-Level Physics)Jonathon reads Nat very well he is supportive and communicates in a way that Nat can understand. Nat has Aspies so this is a particular skill

JonathanFrom Karen (5/5): (A-Level Chemistry)Jonathan has helped my daughter unlock her potential and achieve an A in her AS exams. He's
incredibly patient and helps her to build on what she already knows. We can't recommend him highly enough.

JonathanFrom Claire (5/5): (Secondary Physics)Jonathan is a lovely , kind , willing tutor . He has a way with students which engaged and excited my son (age 12 ) .

JonathanFrom David (5/5): (A-Level Chemistry)An Übermensch.

JonathanFrom Nigel (5/5): (A-Level Physics)Jonathan is always punctual, well presented, approachable and arrives with a very positive attitude. His style is disciplined yet at the same time, nurturing, and our son is clearly benefitting from Jonathan's efforts.

JonathanFrom Almas (5/5): (University Chemistry)A brilliant tutor who provides a friendly atmosphere in which you can learn. Focuses not just on learning the work but on understanding it as well. I couldn't have finished nor passed my degree without his help. In four weeks, my grades turned round and increased by over 30%. Many thanks to him! :)